The Bakery Sisters (29 page)

How was it possible for her body to react so strongly to one man? What combination of chemistry and cosmic humor made her want to turn around, pull Hawk close and demand that he prove all the things Barbara had said about him weren't just cheap talk?

She carefully sidestepped his touch. Instead of taking the hint, he grabbed her hand.

Just like that. Palm against palm, fingers lacing. As if he owned her. As if they belonged together. Worse, he wasn't even looking at her. He was talking to some father.

She wanted to pull her hand free and demand that he stop touching her. She wanted to tell him that they weren't together, they would never be together, and ask him what the hell was he thinking. She wanted to see if that bench seat in his truck was big enough for the two of them.

The father walked away and Hawk turned to her. “You don't have to order,” he said. “They know we're coming. I called ahead to let them know when the game was over. Technically you can get a beer, but I'd rather you didn't. I don't like anyone drinking in front of the kids on game night. It's probably dumb, but there it is.”

His eyes were dark, as if they could absorb all the light in the room. She had the weirdest feeling she could get lost in his eyes, which just went to show that she'd moved past being hungry and was well into low blood sugar delusions.

“You're holding my hand.”

One corner of his mouth turned up. “It's all I can do in a crowd, but once we're alone I'll crank up the heat.”

She jerked free of him. “I have no idea what you're talking about, but let me be clear. You and I are never—”

“Hey, Coach, did you order salads?” one of the cheerleaders asked. “You know some of us don't want pizza.”

“I ordered salads,” he said, sounding tired, then he turned back to her and grabbed her hand again. “What is it about women and their damn weight? Okay, yeah, carrying around an extra thirty or forty pounds is bad. But women today are obsessed with every fat cell and teenagers are the worst.”

“She's a cheerleader. What did you expect?”

“That she should be happy she's healthy and athletic and get off me about salad.”

“Doesn't your daughter worry about her weight?”

One eyebrow raised. “You've been talking about me.”

“Not on purpose. The mothers are all too willing to chat about you. I'm confident you totally love their interest and do whatever you can to fan the flames.”

It was as if he didn't hear anything she'd said. “You were asking questions.”

“Did you listen at all? I didn't ask. It wasn't necessary. Information was offered.”

He smiled, a slow, sexy, self-confident smile that made her both want to hit him and crawl inside of him. “I'm getting to you. I can tell.”

“Someone just shoot me now,” she muttered.

One of his players came up and asked him a question about the game. As Hawk answered, Nicole tried to pull away, but he didn't let go. Short of a tugging match, she seemed trapped and couldn't decide if that was good or bad.

She glanced around the place and saw several mothers glaring at her. When she caught their eyes, they turned away and whispered to each other.

“The fan club isn't happy,” she murmured to Hawk. “I don't know you well enough to be risking life and limb.”

“I'm worth it.”

“You know, if we could harness your ego, we could solve the energy crisis.”

Just then several servers walked out carrying massive pizzas. All the kids milling around dove for tables. Hawk kept hold of her hand as he moved to a large booth in the corner, one apparently reserved for him.

At his urging, she slid in. He followed. She found herself shifting closer and closer to make room for players and their girlfriends. Despite her efforts to keep at least six inches between them, they ended up touching from hip to knee. She tried to find a good place for her cane, but there wasn't one.

“I'll take that,” Hawk said, pulling it out from under the table and placing it along the back of the booth. “What happened to your knee?”

“I fell and tore it up.”

“Are you getting better?”

“It's a slow process.”

“I had knee surgery,” he told her. “We should compare scars.”

A simple statement, but the way he said it, the words sounded dirty.

“Maybe another time,” she murmured as three pizzas were placed on the table. Plates were passed out and pitchers of soda poured.

“Coach, whatcha think of that last play in the first quarter?” one of the guys asked. “That block came out of nowhere.”

“You handled him,” Hawk said. “Good job with the footwork. The extra practice is paying off.”

The kid, at least six feet three inches of solid muscle, beamed.

Nicole reached for a piece of pizza as Hawk was bombarded with question after question. The players didn't just want to talk about the game—they wanted to make sure their coach knew they'd worked hard and done well.

It was probably a very healthy dynamic, one responsible for immature teenagers blossoming into responsible, productive citizens. She should be listening attentively, or at least taking notes, but all she could think about was how she and Hawk were touching.

His skin was hot against hers, as if he had a higher body temperature than mere mortals. She was aware of the muscles bunching and releasing—amazing, rock-hard muscles. Hawk was a big guy. Drew, her cheating bastard of an almost ex-husband, had only been a few inches taller than her and not much heavier. Hawk had massive hands, which made her think about old wives' tales and possibilities.

“Earth to self,” she muttered. “Stay focused on reality.”

Hawk looked at her. “Did you say something?”

“Not me.”

The football recap continued. In an effort to distract herself from Hawk, Nicole glanced around the restaurant. There were a few parents sitting at one of the tables. Raoul and Brittany cuddled together in a booth across the room.

The kid had set himself up with a serious challenge, she thought. Dating his coach's daughter. She wasn't sure if she should admire Raoul for being willing to take on the task or question his sanity. Either way, she liked him.

As the pizza disappeared, conversation slowed. The kids drifted away until she and Hawk were the only ones left at their table. She eased back, putting some distance between them.

“Thanks for coming,” he said.

“You're welcome. I'm still not sure how it happened. One minute I was minding my own business, the next I was here.” She picked up her paper napkin and began folding it. Anything to avoid staring at Hawk.

She hated how
aware
she was of him, how she missed the heat of his body next to hers. She was only twenty-eight so she couldn't blame her reaction on swinging hormones. Maybe it was just the recent string of disasters in her life. Maybe it was cosmic humor.

“You wanted to be here,” he told her.

Which might be right, but she wasn't going to admit it. “You don't actually know that.”

“Yeah, I do.”

Time for a subject change. “Your daughter is lovely.”

Pride brightened Hawk's dark eyes. “Brittany turned out great. I want to take all the credit, but a lot of it was her mom.”

“You must have been pretty young when she was born.”

“Eighteen.”

“That's not an easy life choice.”

He shrugged. “We managed. There were some long, scary nights. Serena's family didn't want anything to do with us once we decided to get married and keep the baby. My mom was supportive but sick, and she didn't have any money. We made it on our own.”

“You were lucky.”

“Maybe.”

“How long have she and Raoul been dating?”

“A few months. Despite what happened in the bakery, he's a good kid.”

“I know.”

“I trust him with my daughter.” He hesitated. “I'm
trying
to trust him. What can I say? She's my baby girl. Of all the guys around, he's the one I'd choose for her.” He looked at her. “Do you trust me?”

“No.”

“You should,” he told her. “I'm very trustworthy.”

“Not even for money.”

Nicole looked so serious as she spoke, Hawk thought, holding in a grin. He liked that about her. He liked the way her long, blond hair swung as she moved, and the way she always seemed to be on the verge of glaring at him. He liked that he made her nervous.

“You look nice tonight,” he said.

She blinked. “Why would you say that?”

“Because it's true.”

She didn't believe him. He expected that. He was going to have to work for her and he planned to enjoy every second of the hunt.

“We should go out.”

She pressed her lips together. “No.”

“Why not? You like me.”

He watched the battle raging in her eyes. On the one hand, she wanted to tell him that she didn't like him, wouldn't ever like him, and yell at him for assuming she did. But she wouldn't want to hurt his feelings, because despite how she pretended to be tough, he knew she was a total girl on the inside.

“I'm amazed you need to date at all,” she finally said. “Doesn't your ego give you enough company?”

“It doesn't keep me warm at night.”

“Perhaps a heated blow-up doll.”

“I'd rather have you.”

She muttered something under her breath, then slid out of the booth. “I need to get home.”

He grabbed her cane. “I'll walk you out.”

“Not necessary.” She took back the cane and started moving. She probably thought paying for the pizza would slow him down. She didn't know that Joe billed him.

When they were outside, Hawk slowed his steps to match hers. The parking lot was mostly deserted.

“No kids to take home?” she asked.

“The ones that don't drive get picked up here by their parents. Or friends take them home. You don't have any responsibilities, Nicole. Want to rethink that date?”

“No.”

They were by her car, a Lexus 400 Hybrid. A girl car, he thought with a grin. Cute and curvy, with attitude. Just like her.

He touched her cheek with his fingers, lightly brushing her skin. Her quick intake of air told him she wasn't as immune as she pretended.

“Want to skip the preliminaries and go right to bed?” he asked.

She held up her cane. “How about if I just beat you with this.”

“I'm not into pain. Are you? Should I be offering to spank you?”

Even in the dim light of the parking lot, he saw her blush.

“No,” she sputtered. “I can't believe you said that.”

“Just trying to figure out what you like and how I can provide it.”

“You think you're really smooth, but you're not.”

“Sure I am.”

“Go away.”

“You don't mean that.”

“Yes, I do,” she told him.

“Prove it. This is your chance. I'm going to kiss you. I'm warning you so you have plenty of time to get in your car and drive away. I'll even count to ten if you want. To give you a head start.” He touched her face again, rubbing his thumb across her bottom lip.

“I don't have a problem admitting you get to me,” he murmured. “I like that you get to me.”

Indecision flickered in her eyes. He could feel the battle raging inside of her. Pride versus need. He knew which side he wanted to win.

N
ICOLE KNEW
that the sensible choice was to bolt for the safety of her car. Instead she gave in to temptation, put her hand on Hawk's shoulder and asked, “Are you ever going to stop talking?”

“Right now,” he said, just before he kissed her.

She didn't know what to expect. A strong, demanding kiss that made her feel practically unnecessary to the process? Feeling completely weirded out because she hadn't kissed a strange man in years? Icky? Excited? Ra—

His mouth brushed against hers with a tender, erotic brush that took her breath away. Hawk didn't just kiss—he invited, teased, aroused and promised, all with barely more than a chaste whisper of skin on skin.

Her brain shrieked, sighed, then completely shut down. Her body went from “fight or flight” to “take me now” in an eighth of a second. Heat poured through her, making her weak and shaky, something she usually disliked, but not right this second.

He put one hand on her waist, tilted his head and pressed more firmly on her mouth.

The moment was amazing. Sparking jolts of desire exploded all around them, landing on her skin and practically burning through her clothes. Without meaning to, she eased forward until they were almost touching. Almost…but not quite.

She told herself she should break the kiss—pull back, act mature, or at least indignant. Instead she stayed there, taking in the warmth radiating from him, and the promise of so much more.

He licked her lower lip, the tip of his tongue barely caressing her sensitized skin. She did her best not to jump, wanting to act casual and sophisticated. It was tough, considering the liquid desire that began to pour through her.

What was up with that? Until a couple of months ago, she'd been married and living with her husband. It wasn't as if she was a sex-starved matron who hadn't gotten any in years. Yet that was how it felt. As if she'd never really known what it was like to be with a man.

She told herself Hawk wasn't all that different. That there was something chemical making her react this way, but it was meaningless. He wasn't special. Which sounded great, but didn't stop her from parting for him, or nearly gasping in pleasure when his tongue touched hers.

He moved inside, taking her with a sureness that made the trembling worse. He kissed her deeply, thoroughly, as if he had all the time in the world and planned to use every second to please her.

He explored and stroked, withdrawing, then plunging inside. He kept one hand on her waist and settled the other on her hip. Slowly, achingly slowly, he moved it down, over her rear, cupping the curve, then squeezing. Instinctively she arched against him, thighs touching, her breasts nestling against the rock-hard muscles of his chest.

Then her belly came into contact with something big and thick and…

She pulled back and stared into his fiery dark eyes. He was aroused. She'd felt his erection. Which meant he was excited by what they were doing.

Nicole liked to think she had herself pretty together. That she was confident and capable and finding her husband having sex with her baby sister hadn't totally destroyed her self-worth. Still, it was something of a shock to realize that a few minutes of kissing had turned on a sex machine like Hawk. A good shock.

“Kiss me again,” she told him.

“You're demanding.”

“Is that a problem?”

“Hell no.”

He pulled her hard against him, then claimed her with a kiss that made her insides clench. She rubbed her stomach against his erection, which turned out to be a bit of a mistake as it made her think about his offer to take her to bed. He moved his hands up and down her back, but didn't shift them anywhere interesting.

Probably because they were outside in a parking lot, she told herself, wondering how tacky it would be to do it on the hood of her SUV.

He slipped his fingers through her hair and tugged slightly. They stared at each other. He smiled.

“You want me.”

“I'll get over it.”

She said the words automatically, not sure she meant them. She
did
want him, and wasn't that good? Except the last thing she needed right now was a relationship. Even one based on an explosive sexual connection.

He leaned in and nipped on her earlobe. She gasped and trembled.

“You're wet right now,” he whispered. “If I were to touch you, you'd come for me.”

He was probably right, she thought, pulling back and suddenly feeling as if she were going to cry. The emotional outburst had nothing to do with Hawk and everything to do with her recent past. The body was willing but the spirit and the heart were too fragile.

“I can't play that game,” she told him.

“Is that what they told you about me? That I play games?”

“It was implied.”

“What if they're wrong?”

Meaning what? “I can't take the chance.”

 

H
AWK WAITED UNTIL TEN
in the morning to knock on his daughter's door. “Hey, sleepyhead,” he said as he pushed into the dark room and walked to the window. After opening the blinds, he faced the bed. “Do I have to tickle you?”

Brittany rolled onto her back and yawned. “Daddy, it's Saturday.”

“You know, the calendar said that, but I wasn't sure. Saturday. Huh. Thanks for the clarification.”

“I get to sleep in on Saturday.”

“It's ten and I'm making blueberry pancakes.”

Brittany sat up. “I can't eat those. They'll make me—”

He held up his hands. “You know the rule. The ‘F' word is not allowed.”

“I wasn't going to say fat.”

“Yes, you were. Do you want pancakes or not?”

“I want them.”

“Then get your girly butt up, kiddo.”

Brittany grinned at him. “I love you, Daddy.”

“I love you, too.”

She scrambled out of bed. “Give me five minutes.”

“Sure thing.”

Her bathroom door slammed shut.

He returned to the kitchen where he heated the griddle, then stirred the batter. Brittany was growing up. She was a senior this year and even if she went to the University of Washington, she would be living in a dorm, so this was her last year at home. The time had gone by too fast.

Brittany walked into the kitchen just as he slid the cooked pancakes onto a plate. She kissed his cheek, then settled into a chair.

“The game was great last night,” she said. “The team is pulling it together. You're going to have a kick-ass season, Dad.”

He eyed her. “Ass” was one of those borderline words. He decided not to start the morning with a fight.

“We'll see how it goes. We're focused on each game as it comes.”

“All you have to do is win the next game and the play-offs take care of themselves,” she said, repeating what he'd said a hundred times.

He laughed. “What are you doing today?”

“A bunch of us are meeting up around eleven-thirty. We're going to lunch and an early movie. Then back here to finish up the homework I didn't get done before the game yesterday.” She wrinkled her nose. “I have two more pages on my paper. It's not due for another week, but I want it done. There's a party at Michelle's house, which you already know about. You talked to her mother on Thursday.”

“I remember.”

“So we'll go to that. Tomorrow I want to work on my college admission essays.”

Hawk listened as she detailed her plan. As the words washed over him, he found himself thinking more about how much she'd changed in the past few years.

She was everything he could have wanted. Popular, a good student, caring, responsible. He wanted to take all the credit, but he knew Serena had laid the foundation. She'd been the perfect mother. After she'd died, he'd done his best to fill in the gaps. Apparently he'd managed to do a pretty good job.

“Things okay with Raoul?” he asked.

She chewed a mouthful of pancakes, then swallowed. “Sure. We're fine.”

“You seemed pretty tight last night after the game. You're not taking things too far, are you?”

Brittany ducked her head. “Daddy, jeez. Get personal much?”

“You're my daughter. I worry about you. You're nearly eighteen. You've been dating Raoul for a while now. Do I have to kill him or not?”

“Not!” She shuddered. “This is humiliating. I won't talk about this with you, mostly because there's nothing to talk about. We're not doing…that. It's too soon.”

“Okay.” He kept his voice casual, but inside he was doing the happy dance. She'd said exactly what he wanted to hear.

If he had his way, his daughter wouldn't have sex until she got married…around age thirty-five. But that wasn't realistic. While he liked Raoul, he was wary. It wasn't personal—he wouldn't totally trust any teenage kid with his daughter. So he would do what he could to keep her safe and hope for the best.

He ate his own pancakes, remembering that when he'd been Brittany's age, he and Serena had been doing it for nearly a year. They'd tried to be careful, but passion had often overridden common sense. Brittany had been the result. What had seemed like a disaster had turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to him. He'd been lucky and he knew it.

Speaking of luck…He remembered the previous evening and kissing Nicole. There was an activity he could get behind in a big way. She wasn't going to be easy, which was fine with him. He was more than up for the challenge.

 

N
ICOLE CONFIRMED
the deliveries for the upcoming week, then shut down her computer. Once the rush for Saturday-morning pastries was over, there was a lull until the cake order pickups started. They were usually done by lunchtime. The bakery closed in the afternoon. She was often done by noon. Today she'd finished early because she'd forced herself to only think about work. It was either that or endlessly relive kissing Hawk. While it might seem like a great way to waste time, she knew he was nothing but trouble and she would be smart to avoid him, even in her thoughts.

Maggie knocked on her open door. “There's a bunch of high school kids out front.”

“What do you mean?”

“Just what I said. They came in a few minutes ago, ordered coffee and pastries. Now they're just sitting there, talking. Like we're a hangout. We've never been a hangout.”

“Are they causing any trouble?”

“No. They're real polite. It's just weird.”

Nicole had to agree with her. “Let me see what's going on,” she said.

She walked to the front of the store. Sure enough most of the tables were full of teenagers laughing and talking. They were a little loud, but not doing anything she could object to. She was about to turn away, when she recognized one of the girls. A pretty blonde in shorts and a T-shirt who smiled and waved.

“Hi,” the girl said. “I'm Brittany. We met last night.”

“Raoul's girlfriend.” Hawk's daughter—a fact that was still hard to believe.

“Right. We're waiting until he gets off work, then we're all going to lunch and a movie.”

“Sounds like fun.” Nicole glanced at the clock. It was quarter to twelve. “I'll go tell him you're here so he can finish up. It should only be a couple of minutes.”

“Thanks, but he doesn't have to hurry. We're having fun. Your Danish are incredible.”

Nicole patted her hip. “Tell me about it.”

She returned behind the counter where Maggie waited. “You know them?” her employee asked.

“I met a couple of them last night at the football game.”

Maggie had worked at the bakery for years. She and Nicole were friends, so a simple questioning look got the point across.

“I don't know what I was doing at a high school football game,” Nicole admitted. “Raoul plays. He asked me to go. I wanted to be supportive. He introduced me to Brittany, his girlfriend. She's a cheerleader.”

Maggie started laughing.

Nicole glanced at the kids. “Stop it. Nothing about this is funny.”

“It is to me. You're popular.”

“Great. It only took ten years of being out of high school for that to happen.”

Nicole went in the back and told Raoul he could leave early. According to Sid and Phil, he was doing a great job. She appreciated having her instincts validated. She was about to leave herself when Maggie found her.

“You have a gentleman caller waiting out front.”

Nicole winced, even as her heart started thundering in her chest. Hawk? Was it Hawk? She hated how much she wanted it to be him. “No one talks like that.”

“I do and he's gorgeous.”